Race Day
The IMT Des Moines Marathon, Half Marathon and Marathon Relay start at 8 a.m.
The 5K Road Race starts at 8:30 a.m.
All races start and finish at Nollen Plaza | 400 Locust Street | Des Moines, IA 50309
Des Moines Street Closings on race day.
Weather
October tends to be a fairly dry month in Iowa. You will likely experience a bit of a chill to the early morning air on race day. Average lows are in the lower 50's and highs in the upper 60's. We rely on the weather team at ABC 5 for up to the minute weather updates when making our final contingency plans for race weekend.
Old race shirts, a sweatshirt or a pair of gloves are a great examples of ways to stay warm while awaiting the start of the race. Your body will begin to warm up after the first couple miles of the race and you will want to shed layers. Volunteers from the Iowa Homeless Youth Center will pick up any discarded clothing that you leave behind. We also donate all of the food that is leftover from the finish line festivities to this important nonprofit organization in our community.
Weather Flags
The IMT Des Moines Marathon has adopted the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index as a method to measure the impact the total environment has on our athletes. Race officials will be using flags of specific colors to communicate the current weather conditions on race day and during the race.
The specific flag will be displayed at Mercy Medical Center First Aid Stations located at Nollen Plaza, Drake University, Water Works Park and Gray’s Lake Park. Weather Flag System
Locker Rooms and Showers
The Riverfront YMCA opens their doors at 6:00 a.m. You will have access to the main gym for stretching. The Riverfront YMCA has also offered use of their locker rooms as a place for you to secure your valuables and take a post race shower. Please remember to bring your own lock, as they will not be responsible for lost or stolen items. The Riverfront YMCA is located two blocks east of the start/finish line at Nollen Plaza.
Riverfront YMCA
101 Locust Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
Baggage Claim/Information
The Lint Van Lines Baggage Claim and an information booth will be available on Walnut Street on the south end of Nollen Plaza. You may want to use your Runner's World bag from athlete packet pick up to store your personal items during the race. Simply return with your race number/bib to claim your belongings. The IMT Des Moines Marathon is not responisble for any lost, stolen or unclaimed bags from the baggage claim.
Nondenominational Service
Stephen Taylor, Pastor of the Monroe United Methodist Church in Monroe, Iowa will lead a brief nondenominational service at 7:15 a.m. inside Capital Square, which is the white office building with windows on the west end of Nollen Plaza. Anyone and everyone who would like to attend the nondenominational service is welcome.
Stretching
Aspen Athletic fitness instructors will lead a series of group warm up and stretching exercises before the races from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m. and 8:00 to 8:15 a.m. at Nollen Plaza.
Parking
There are a variety of free parking options in downtown Des Moines. You do not have to put money in the parking meters on the street at any time on Saturday or Sunday.
We invite you to take advantage of free parking at many of the downtown parking ramps on Saturday and Sunday. City of Des Moines parking ramps are located at 4th Street/Grand Avenue, 5th Street/George Watson Powell Parkway, 5th Street/Locust Avenue and 7th Street/Locust Avenue.
Do not attempt to park in the 3rd Street/Court Avenue parking ramp on race morning.
Parking is also available at Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs, six blocks south of Nollen Plaza.
Principal Park
One Line Drive
Des Moines, IA 50309
Please be respectful of No Parking signs in the downtown area, especially on race day. Chances are likely that the No Parking signs are posted on our behalf. Your vehicle will be towed.
Have a comment or question? Contact Us if you are not finding the specific race information that you are looking for. The following links may be of assistance.
Ride Share
Interested in ridesharing to the IMT Des Moines Marathon? Sign up here for an account and become members of a growing and dynamic community. It is free to join and PickupPals can track the number of rides they have given or taken, the number of km they have traveled via ride sharing and we can as an IMT Des Moines Marathon group keep track of the amount of emissions we have reduced as a result!"
Start 
The IMT Des Moines Marathon, Half Marathon and Marathon Relay start at 8:00 a.m.
The 5K Road Race starts at 8:30 a.m.
All race divisions start at the same location in downtown Des Moines and head east towards the East Village and Iowa State Capitol on Locust Street.
Start/Finish Line Map
Nollen Plaza | 400 Locust Street | Des Moines, IA 50309
Push Rim athletes will line up in front of seeded elite athletes and the rest of the Marathon, Half Narathon and 5-Person Marathon Relay Field. Please self select your starting point, or where you line up, at the start line based on your predicted finish time. A general rule of thumb to follow for first-timers is to let faster runners to the front followed by slower runners and then walkers to the back of the pack.
It is not always easy to determine who is a faster runner and who is a walker before the race has begun. We tend to joke that faster runners are always wearing less clothing. Don't be afraid to ask an IMT Des Moines Marathon Race Committee or Van Meter Industrial Pace Team members for assistance in determining where to line up at the start. You can also stop by the Registration, Volunteers or Lint Van Lines Baggage Claim booth located at the south end of Nollen Plaza along Walnut Street.
Bicycles, inline skates, roller skates, baby strollers, scooters, wheeled vehicles (except event registered wheelchairs) and dogs are not allowed on the course.
Course
Protection
The marathon course is a closed course that is open to all registered athletes for 7 hours. The City of Des Moines has placed No Parking signs and barricades/traffic cones at key intersections along the course to ensure that you will always have the right of way. Escort services are provided for the first and last athlete in each race. Your safety on the course is a top priority to race officials.
Des Moines Police and course marshals are stationed at key points and mile markers, while race in progress signs are posted to assist you in staying on course. Ultimately as a participant in the race, it is your responsibility to know the course.
Headphones
USATF Rule 144.3(b) prohibits the use of technical devices in USATF sanctioned races. i-Pods, Walkman's and other earpiece music players fall within the guidelines of Rule 144.3(b).
Rule 144.3(b) applies to sanctioned track and field events and is intended to serve as a guideline for road races. The ruling is being enforced by some road races. We encourage you to educate yourself about the safety hazards associated with the use of music devices while running and whether or not a race that you are interested in participating in allows headphones.
The IMT Des Moines Marathon is a USTAF certified course, however we are not a USATF sanctioned race due to Rule 144.3(b) and our desire to allow headphones on race day. The Des Moines Marathon does adhere to the Rules of Competition as laid out by USATF and will not allow anyone racing (elite athletes) with the intent to win cash or overall awards to wear headphones.
You will not be disqualified or removed from the course for using a personal music device on race day.
Please be extra cautious and mindful of the volume of your music and your presence on the course as it relates to athletes and spectators around you. We will do what it can to keep you informed on this issue.
USATF Amends Headphone Rule - www.usatf.org - December 22, 2008
USATF Delegates Debate Headphone Ban - www.thefinalsprint.com - November 29, 2007
Hydration
Aid Stations are available at least every 2 miles along the course. Each aid station will be stocked with Crystal Clear Bottled Water and Endurance Formula Gatorade. Some of the aid stations along the course will have additional items such as oranges, pretzels, tissues and vaseline.
Many of the aid stations are staffed with employees from race sponsors and nonprofit organizations. Please be courteous of their time and efforts to ensure you have the best possible race experience.
Please be good to our neighbors along the course. Try to be mindful of litter and place your waste in appropriate trash containers along the course and at each aid station. Check your parking area after the race for litter as well. Recycle or reuse your plastic bottles when possible.
Become a member of the Runner's World Green Team and support environmentally friendly races, such as the IMT Des Moines Marathon, while learning training tools to help live an organic lifestyle and shape the world you live, run and play in.
First Aid
If you need medical assistance for any reason while on the course, we ask that you try to make it to the nearest aid station. If this is not possible, please stop where you are at on the course and a course marshal or member of the Bike Iowa support team will come to you. They will alert Mercy Medical Center First Aid volunteers who will drive you back to Nollen Plaza if you wish to discontinue with the race.
Mercy Medical Center First Aid Stations will be located at Nollen Plaza for use during start/finish line activities, Mile 12 on the marathon course, Mile 20/7 in Water Works Park, Mile 23/10 in Gray's Lake Park and Mile 25/12 on West Martin Luther King JR Parkway.
A Mercy Medical First Aid volunteer will also monitor your progress on the Bill Riley Bike Trail and on the Meredith Trail elevation rise just before the George Washington Carver Bridge on West Martin Luther King JR Parkway.
Technology
The IMT Des Moines Marathon and The End Result offer a variety of technological perks that help athletes, friends and family have a more enjoyable race experience. We would like to thank Mediacom for making these race day enhancements available.
Athlete Alerts
Friends and family members will be able to sign up online to receive email or text message alerts showing an athlete's progress in real time as he or she completes the course. This allows spectators to keep track of athletes on the course so that they can know when and where to be to show their support.
Searchable Online Results
A searchable database of online results showing clock time, gun time, splits, pace and placement will be available on this page following the IMT Des Moines Marathon. These results are updated in realtime during the race with split and finish times, as well as a list of the current leading runners. After the race, our database will give athletes the opportunity to look up their official times, compare their results to those of friends and family, and show off their accomplishment.
The IMT Des Moines Marathon is proud to be categorized as a premier Boston Marathon Qualifier and touts the fastest qualifying time of any Iowa marathon.
Finish
All races finish at Nollen Plaza. Athletes crossing the finish line will be greeted by key volunteers from the Mercy Medical Center First Aid Station. You will be assisted in the removal of the Sportag™ timing device from your shoe and marathon finishers will be offered a heat sheet.
All finishers will receive an IMT Des Moines Marathon finisher medal. MarathonFoto will also be on hand to take post race photos. You can click here to be notified when your photos are available for purchase following the race.
AFMInc Heatsheet Recycling Program
Among our many green initiatives, the IMT Des Moines Marathon is pleased to be one of six marathons testing recycling protocols for “number 4” film plastics this fall. This material (low density polyethylene) is used in the Heatsheets we distribute in the finish area to keep marathoners from becoming hypothermic until you have a chance to put on some warm clothes.
So, if you don’t plan to keep your Heatsheet as a souvenir of your marathon finish, or as a reusable blanket for your emergency kit, please be sure to recycle it at Nollen Plaza by the Artistic Waste dumpsters. Thanks for doing your part to help the IMT Des Moines Marathon and AFMInc, the makers of Heatsheets, with this important pilot recycling project!
Race To The ULTRA
Michelob ULTRA supports golf, running and cycling events across the country, encouraging adults to "Live life to the ULTRA" by leading active lifestyles. The "Race To The ULTRA" extravaganza at the Post Race Party offers runners of legal age with ID the opportunity to sample a refreshing, ice cold ULTRA (while supplies last).
A superior low-carbohydrate light beer, Michelob ULTRA has 95 calories, 2.6g carbs, 0.6g protein and 0.0g fat per 12 oz. serving. Visit www.michelobultra.com for access to the Michelob ULTRA Pathfinder running application on Facebook. This application provides mapped running routes in more than 50 U.S. cities, allowing users to share routes, photos and experiences with friends.
Michelob ULTRA is proud to be the Official Beer of the IMT Des Moines Marathon.
Physical Therapy
The Des Moines University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is providing complimentary physical therapy services to facilitate recovery for athletes following the race.
Third year Doctor of Physical Therapy students in conjunction with staff physical therapists from the University will be providing the services to include stretching, soft tissue mobilization and release, ice massage, posture and flexibility screening, as well as individual stretching and strengthening advice. Look for the Des Moines University signs and tables underneath the Capital Square awnings.
Massage
Free race day massages will be available after crossing the finish line at Nollen Plaza from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Massage speeds recovery time by flushing wastes from muscles and stretching to improve mobility. Strokes are designed to flush toxins and stretching is done to aid in recovery and flexibility. Licensed therapists experienced in soft tissue work will tailor their techniques to the runner's needs. Sign in after the race for a 10-minute massage on a "first come-first served" basis. Sponsored by Personal Best Massage.
Post Race
Awards Ceremony
Overall prize money and awards will be given to the top three male and female finishers in the IMT Des Moines Marathon and Half Marathon. Various team awards will be given to winners of the 5-Person Marathon Relay Challenge and first, second and third place cash awards will be given to the male and female winner of the Principal Financial Group 5K Road Race.
Age division awards in the Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K Road Race will be given to the top three male and female finishers in each of the following age groups: 14 and under, 15 -19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 57-79 and 80 and over.
Overall awards will be presented at the Awards Ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Age division awards will be mailed once race results are official and at least two to four weeks following the race.
Course Records
Prize Money
Post Race Party 
Celebrate your accomplishment with the IMT Des Moines Marathon Race Director and Race Committee at the official post race party.
El Bait Shop has more than 107 beers on tap and features American made micro-brew beers. El Bait shop will offer a free taco bar for IMT Des Moines Marathon athletes on race day.
El Bait Shop
200 SW 2nd Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
   
|
|
